by Susan Upton
Photos by Alicia Cavazos, Rio Grande Valley Chapter
After recently completing the 2021 Texas Master Naturalist class, my mentor Alicia Cavazos and I headed over to Resaca de la Palma State Park to do a little birding. Before leaving, we made it a point to visit with the park Superintendent, Kelly Cummings-Malkowski. Since we had volunteered in the past, we once again offered to help, if needed.
As the world began emerging from the clutches of Covid-19, it wasn’t long until Kelly reached out to us, ready to get the park activities and events started back up, including the tram tours and children’s programs. Alicia had conducted tours in the past and I was ready and willing to learn. It was a great opportunity to apply some of my newly-acquired knowledge from class.
We received our training on March 31st; Kelly gave a brief tour of the park and handed us the keys to the “company car” – an electric open-air tram that holds eight!…and the rest, as they say, is history!
As I write this, we are in our second month of conducting tours and loving every minute of it! Watching the flora and fauna evolve from the effects of the drought and recent freeze, has been nothing short of amazing. Each week another native tree seems to generate a massive bloom to the thrill of passengers.
Mating season has also been very active this spring with multiple sightings of Texas Indigo snakes posturing for territory, Inca Doves doing their mating dance, and Crested Caracara and Altamira Orioles pulling choice grasses and tree fibers to build their nests. It goes without saying, several bobcats have been sighted on the hunt for a mate and of course, the resident Rio Grande Turkeys are active! The Groove-billed Anis have recently arrived and will soon be nesting here, as well.
Each week we find ourselves discovering something new to share with our passengers, in order to create an emotional connection between them and the park’s trails and natural resources. Each tour takes on a persona of its own, based on the interest of our fares. Some have a thirst to learn about our native trees, flowers, and animals; while others have their bins up, in search of the Altamira Oriole and its long, hanging pouch nest.
Alicia and I can be found operating tram tours on Wednesday and Thursday mornings! We are also assisting with school-sponsored field trips to the park and looking forward to cultivating a new crop of naturalists!
Tram tours are conducted on Wednesday through Sunday. Check in at the front desk to reserve your seat.
Hope to see you out on the trails!
Contact info:
Resaca de la Palma State Park
1000 New Carmen Ave. (off Hwy. 281 or FM 1732)
Brownsville, TX 78521
Latitude: 25.996275 Longitude: -97.5712694
(956) 350-2920
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